Robbie Williams says he feels “vindicated” for releasing an up-tempo pop track after revealing that record bosses tried to make him go for something more “safe”.

The singer scored his first number one for eight years when Candy topped the charts at the weekend. This was despite Williams, 38, being removed from Radio 1’s playlist after the station decided he was no longer relevant to their young listeners.

Williams was speaking as he switched on the Marmite Oxford Street Christmas Lights last night. He said: “I’ve been sat on that song for a couple of years and, you know, there has been plenty of times we could have tried something else and gone with another song.”

He said there were advisors telling him: “Maybe it’s too poppy, maybe you’re a bit too old to do that sort of stuff, why don’t you release a more safe thing’. But I stuck by my guns and said, ‘This sounds like a hit to me’, and luckily thankfully I’ve been proved right. There is a lot of vindication, happiness and relief.

“I’ve written a very poppy album on purpose. I want to fill stadiums and I want big anthems and I think I may have written them for [new album] Take The Crown.”

Williams was watched by 20,000 people as he performed at the switch-on, which was presented by Heart FM DJs Jamie Theakston and Emma Bunton and also featured sets from Leona Lewis and Lawson.

Radio 1 breakfast host Nick Grimshaw defended the station’s decision not to play Candy. He said: “I don’t know if he’s now for a Radio 1 audience. I’ve never listened to a Robbie Williams song but I really like him.

“To 13 and 14-year-olds he’s not relevant... they’ve got One Direction. I liked Take That when I was little, but I’m not little any more.”

Williams said he had accepted the decision, adding: “The Government’s given them a remit to appeal to 17 to 24-year-olds, obviously I don’t fit in to that and that’s OK.”